The Rockets Need To Stack Signature Wins

The Houston Rockets finally got a signature win against one of the teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. In a rematch against the Denver Nuggets, the Rockets blew the game open in the second half and cruised to a complete victory.

While the team should be satisfied with their win, they can't be satisfied with their performance against top teams overall. With an outing that proves they can take big victories over quality opponents, the Rockets must continue these types of performances to give themselves a chance to climb in the standings.

One of the major factors that led to their win was a big outing from Kevin Durant.

Durant was aggressive and decisive, taking his shots within the flow of the offense but also forcing his offense when the Rockets needed a bucket. It's important that Houston continues to find ways to get production from Durant in critical moments, and it's important that Durant still chooses to take over when the offense needs it.

Another factor that could carry forward into future games is the production of Reed Sheppard. He has shown an ability to increase his level of play against top teams, and his production helps mitigate the loss of Fred VanVleet and the growing pains from Amen Thompson's development as a lead ball handler.

Sheppard has already become a knockdown shooter who can space the floor for Durant and Alperen Sengun to work in the middle of the floor. Sengun especially is adept at spraying the ball out to open shooters like Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr.

Rebounding continues to be one of Houston's most elite statistics, as the efforts led by Steven Adams have led to a consistent advantage in that area against most teams. The Rockets are able to shoot freely with the confidence that they'll get the rebound off a miss in most possessions.

The eventual return of Tari Eason will be a big addition to the team's rebounding numbers, and he'll also help with the defensive effort by supporting Thompson in the team's point-of-attack defense.

If the Rockets can get all of their pieces functioning at a high level like they did against the Nuggets, they have the opportunity to continue collecting wins against some of the West's best teams. Winning close games or dominating great teams is the best benchmark to determine how well the team can perform in the playoffs when only the great teams are left.